Defence v Huddersfield

[steviestevieneville]

22 minutes ago, Shuffle said:

I get Low going out on loan to gain experience & Towler wasn’t even at the club when he joined Portsmouth but it’s very telling that when we’ve had the chance to use 9 subs we didn’t have one CB from the u21s involved.  We released Klose & sold Towler as we have better coming through in the clubs words but who is coming through and ready? Araoye looks decent but injured as is Knight Lebel so is there anyone who could be considered ready to cover our CB crisis or do we look at free agent market?

It was pretty clear the last time klose played his legs had gone . Towler not good enough (yet anyway ) 

As far as the free agent market goes . It would take weeks maybe months for a player to have a mini preseason & get them fit enough 

[Shuffle]

3 minutes ago, steviestevieneville said:

It was pretty clear the last time klose played his legs had gone . Towler not good enough (yet anyway ) 

As far as the free agent market goes . It would take weeks maybe months for a player to have a mini preseason & get them fit enough 

Agree on Klose and it’s your opinion on Towler but 3 defenders left in Jan and not one came in despite Nige saying he needed to add there when all 3 were still on the books.  My question is who is there to come in as we must of had confidence that there’s someone who could.  Who is that ? Also, when Naismith is back, I don’t think he has ever played in a 2.  Not sure it takes months as both Klose and Williams were playing in weeks rather than months. 

[The Bard]

3 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Like when we won at Rotherham, you mean?

Boring and painful isn't it?

[GrahamC]

1 hour ago, The Bard said:

Boring and painful isn't it?

Yep.

[Mr Popodopolous]

4 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Like when we won at Rotherham, you mean?

Or drew with Watford, drew with and outplayed them.

[formerly known as ivan]

7 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Like when we won at Rotherham, you mean?

You’re pointing out one game out of the few he played in defence? A game against Rotherham by the way!

[Rocking Red Cyril]

6 hours ago, 1960maaan said:

There was one point he chased back, near the touchline. He caught up and nibbled but then stopped. I was shouting No NO at the TV, luckily the Mrs was out.  He has shown restraint , just hope he can keep it going.

I know what you mean, but I think with Mehmeti, or Weimann, we are a man short in MF. Might be worth trying Mehmeti on the right and give Sykes a rest, and it would allow him to go outside and get crosses in.

Interesting 

[Rocking Red Cyril]

6 hours ago, 1960maaan said:

I can see Nige going that way, but I think Weimann has been or can be , quite anonymous in that role. TBH if I was trying to get AW in the team it would be CF, but I don't think Pearson will go that way. 

We have 4 games to get through before Naismith comes back, Wilson will probably get some games before the break, but we are close to bare bones. Hope Scott can avoid that booking for a few more games.

Trouble is I agree Weiman can go anonymous in this role but with Alex needing to play deeper to accommodate. It really reduced our attacking feed from midfield and Alex running into attacking situations and for me just died not work positively for the team 

[W-S-M Seagull]

We're not going down. We never were. So there was no real need to panic and bring in players in January just so we had numbers. That's the problem we have had in the past. 

We now just need to get through til the summer where we can bring in numbers, numbers that we actually want. 

We have a great opportunity this summer (especially if we sell Scott) to shape the squad how we want so that hopefully we wont be in this sort of situation again. 

[Cityboy1954]

8 hours ago, 1960maaan said:

We have
one RFB
Two LFB's
One CB

That will be our defence Tuesday, unless King gets the nod , which I don't think he will , as
We have three fit MF's plus OTC. 

I think we might see King come in for Williams. Unless Weimann starts in Scotts role and AS drops back .
My guess is ;

                      Oleary
Tanner - Vyner - Pring - DaSilva
            James - King
                 Scott
Sykes    -   Wells. -  Mehmeti

 

Jesus I'm worried we need nine points desperately

 

 

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Squad next season although potentially minus Scott is shaping up.

O'Leary, New Signing (Or Hakin), Bajic (Or New Signing)

Tanner, Wilson, Vyner (surely he'll stay- but New Signing if not), Kalas (Or New Signing), Atkinson, New Signing, Pring, DaSilva (Or New Signing)

James, Williams, Naismith- If Scott leaves and isn't loaned back, two new signings otherwise one needed minimum IMO

Sykes, Cornick, Mehmeti, Benarous

Bell, Conway, Weimann, Wells

Some versatility in there too but depth wise yeah there are 16 probables already there, contracted and then of varying likeliness out of contract or still out of the pecking order...Hakin, Vyner, Kalas, DaSilva. King also out of contract while Scott surely off for good money.

Bajic and his place in the pecking order, time will tell.

Edited March 5, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[Garland-sweden]

Dasilva as leftback not good option. King or a youngster along Vyner as centerbsck. Never been impressed by Dasilva as a defender. 

[eardun]

I like the suggestion above of putting Sykes in the 10 role (ie move him from the right to the centre). He’s looking really dangerous at the moment and can score goals so I think it would help our attacking threat. Weimann then comes in on the right - his runs/movement can be good there as we saw v Man City. Scott to play in midfield. 
 

I think it will have to be Pring at LCB. It does mean we lose his driving runs down the wing but he is the most solid option in my view - he is also a left footer which helps CB balance. Jay to come in at LB. 

[1960maaan]

The defence then, pretty much picks itself. Hopefully Wilson gets some minutes this week and makes his way back into contention, it adds an option.

Tanner/Vyner/Pring/DaSilva

I'd forgotten he'd played CM , cheers @Davefevs , I actually would prefer him as our option at "10" or if we go 4-3-3

The midfield is better for options , at least on the face of it, but. OTC isn't ready to start yet. King hasn't played much. That leaves James, Scott and probably Sykes that you would consider genuine MF's.
Add the need for a little more up front I would go ;

       James/Scott
            Sykes
Mehmeti/Wells/Bell

Sykes is in decent form and I don't think Weimann should walk back in because he's Captain, Sykes also is in reasonable scoring form. Switch Mehmeti to the right and let Bell play that left side. We have to get Wells back in and central.

Of course Nige takes no notice of me and I don't know what niggles and knocks we have. This just feels as solid yet attacking as we can be, at least to me.

[cidercity1987]

Perversely he might consider a change back to 3-5-2 with Tanner, Vyner, Pring and Sykes, Dasilva WBs

Hope not but it is an option to protect Pring a bit

[spudski]

I'd be tempted to keep our strongest players available on the pitch and keep the same formation.

Huddersfield are susceptible to speed and attacks on the flanks and find defending against skillful players a problem. 

With that in mind...

_________________Max_________________

Tanner____Vyner_____James_____Pring

___Weimann____Scott_____Mehmeti___

____Sykes______Wells_______Bell______

I know James isn't CB, but I reckon he could do a job there, and I just don't trust King and Vyner together. 

Prefer Pring to DaSilva...who imo, defensively is poor. Pring better defensively and offers physicality, pace and offensive attributes. 

Lots of speed, energy and skill in the mid and forward lines. 

[Son of Fred]

17 hours ago, 1960maaan said:

I can see Nige going that way, but I think Weimann has been or can be , quite anonymous in that role. TBH if I was trying to get AW in the team it would be CF, but I don't think Pearson will go that way. 

We have 4 games to get through before Naismith comes back, Wilson will probably get some games before the break, but we are close to bare bones. Hope Scott can avoid that booking for a few more games.

I'd be tempted to Let Andi play CF,,certainly worth a pop, but sorry to say very unlikely to happen.

[GrahamC]

3 minutes ago, Son of Fred said:

I'd be tempted to Let Andi play CF,,certainly worth a pop, but sorry to say very unlikely to happen.

Not sure what message it would send to Wells & Cornick but personally I’d much rather he did so than Bell, who simply doesn’t have the physicality to do the job against the type of defenders Cardiff & Huddersfield have.

[GrahamC]

9 hours ago, Cityboy1954 said:

Jesus I'm worried we need nine points desperately

 

 

 

Nine points?

The bottom three have 31, 32, 32 respectively.

None of them have won more than 8 games all season out of the 34 or 35 they’ve played, yet you reckon they are all going to suddenly average 2 points a game (which is top two form) from here on in? Blackpool have only won once since October, FFS.

We probably don’t even need 6 more points, this stuff is trotted out every year but is completely unrealistic, like the playoffs nonsense spouted last week.

[Son of Fred]

11 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Nine points?

The bottom three have 31, 32, 32 respectively.

None of them have won more than 8 games all season out of the 34 or 35 they’ve played, yet you reckon they are all going to suddenly average 2 points a game (which is top two form) from here on in? Blackpool have only won once since October, FFS.

We probably don’t even need 6 more points, this stuff is trotted out every year but is completely unrealistic, like the playoffs nonsense spouted last week.

Six points will certainly do it,

And if we can't amass six points from the 12 remaining fixtures I'll be in shock!

[1960maaan]

11 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Nine points?

The bottom three have 31, 32, 32 respectively.

None of them have won more than 8 games all season out of the 34 or 35 they’ve played, yet you reckon they are all going to suddenly average 2 points a game (which is top two form) from here on in? Blackpool have only won once since October, FFS.

We probably don’t even need 6 more points, this stuff is trotted out every year but is completely unrealistic, like the playoffs nonsense spouted last week.

As fans/supporters you can't help but worry.
My QPR mate has been saying for a while they are in serious trouble. I have said for a while they will pick up enough, TBF early on in the season they looked good , even recently they were points ahead of us. They've hit a wall , he was at Rotherham yesterday, and that defeat has started me thinking they could actually be in real trouble. My point is, Scott gets booked V Huddersfield, 2 games out, another injury or two and we could struggle to put out a competitive XI. Very doom & gloom point of view, but I try not to get too confident or relaxed when it comes to City. 
You're probably right, 6 points is enough and sounds easy. I won't feel comfortable until we have them.

[bcfc01]

26 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

As fans/supporters you can't help but worry.
My QPR mate has been saying for a while they are in serious trouble. I have said for a while they will pick up enough, TBF early on in the season they looked good , even recently they were points ahead of us. They've hit a wall , he was at Rotherham yesterday, and that defeat has started me thinking they could actually be in real trouble. My point is, Scott gets booked V Huddersfield, 2 games out, another injury or two and we could struggle to put out a competitive XI. Very doom & gloom point of view, but I try not to get too confident or relaxed when it comes to City. 
You're probably right, 6 points is enough and sounds easy. I won't feel comfortable until we have them.

One or two points would ensure no relegation imo.

If you look at current and past form in the season, I'd be surprised if any of the bottom three got more than 44 points.

But hopefully we'll get a lot more than that, I would say around another 16 points would be satisfactory, taking us to 60 points.

Re QPR, I make it that in their last 20 games, they've won 2, drawn 6 and lost 12 - 12 points with 13 scored and 36 conceded. Horrendous run, but they only need around 4 or 5 to be safe. But they may need to pick most of those up in the next five games as their run in is WBA, Coventry, Norwich, Burnley, Stoke, and us.

 

[jay mizel]

Mehmeti Wells Sykes

Dasilva James Scott Weimann

Pring Vyner Tanner

O’Leary

 

Fairly decent team that, considering the size of our squad and the current injuries. Having Jay playing behind Mehmeti - that will be an improvement to pre-Jan. And Weimann and Sykes would put the legs in to cover for Tanner.

Colin’s going to have them right up for this one. And we need our most bastard team out.

[Davefevs]

I thought this thread was from the EP’s “In the Courts” section!

[Swede]

I'd go with;

O'Leary

Sykes, Tanner, Vyner, Pring

Weimann, James, Mehmeti

Scott

Cornick, Wells

 

Cornick has to start at some time to get the best out of him. Wells too. 

Colin will be relishing playing us now.

[1960maaan]

3 hours ago, bcfc01 said:

One or two points would ensure no relegation imo.

If you look at current and past form in the season, I'd be surprised if any of the bottom three got more than 44 points.

But hopefully we'll get a lot more than that, I would say around another 16 points would be satisfactory, taking us to 60 points.

Re QPR, I make it that in their last 20 games, they've won 2, drawn 6 and lost 12 - 12 points with 13 scored and 36 conceded. Horrendous run, but they only need around 4 or 5 to be safe. But they may need to pick most of those up in the next five games as their run in is WBA, Coventry, Norwich, Burnley, Stoke, and us.

 

I was in two minds about QPR away, if I go I'd meet him (QPR mate) and his Mrs (City STH ) at his pub, great day out. But I honestly thought we could need the points to stay up and they could be going for the Playoffs. Fast forward to 2 games ago and it was almost reversed. 
While I think we get enough points in the next few games to make sure , I will worry until then though if we lose Tuesday. QPR are in freefall and Martin is their only experienced striker. They need a break or two in the next few games.

Edited March 5, 2023 by 1960maaan

[Cityboy1954]

22 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Nine points?

The bottom three have 31, 32, 32 respectively.

None of them have won more than 8 games all season out of the 34 or 35 they’ve played, yet you reckon they are all going to suddenly average 2 points a game (which is top two form) from here on in? Blackpool have only won once since October, FFS.

We probably don’t even need 6 more points, this stuff is trotted out every year but is completely unrealistic, like the playoffs nonsense spouted last week.

We got to play Huddersfield and Blackpool if things go wrong with our injuries we could fall in the shit .

[GrahamC]

2 minutes ago, Cityboy1954 said:

We got to play Huddersfield and Blackpool if things go wrong with our injuries we could fall in the shit .

You didn’t read my post at all, did you?

You don’t think we will get at least 6 more points from the 36 that are available?
Ok then.

[Cityboy1954]

4 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

You didn’t read my post at all, did you?

You don’t think we will get at least 6 more points from the 36 that are available?
Ok then.

Get em on the board then il be happy